BEST, SMALLEST TRIPOD or MONOPOD?

Gitzo GT0541 Mountaineer
Weighs only 0.8kg with a 5 kg load capacity. 4 section folds up to a mere 48cm. It is a great little CF tripod that is excellent for traveling.
If you prefer a 3 section tripod, can try the GT0531.

I was looking at the Gitzo 1540 in a store, and thought that it was fairly compact. But the one you mention, weigh even less

A small, lightweight tripod when expanded to a workable standing up height is wobbly, transmits vibrations and is generally very fragile and not too trustworthy.

Those miniature tripods that extend to say 16" are quite good if you can find a sturdy table to set them on when hiking some backwoods trail or a busy urban sidewalk.

A good unipod with a pan head would be preferable.

Mickey

I agree, that is why the more leg division a tripod has, the more it is unsturdy..although it becomes more compact when folded.
..but try to remember what a tripod is really for. It is not to be folded compactly but to be used so a camera would be braced sturdily.

I agree, that is why the more leg division a tripod has, the more it is unsturdy..although it becomes more compact when folded.
..but try to remember what a tripod is really for. It is not to be folded compactly but to be used so a camera would be braced sturdily.

Gerry -- while I do appreciate your logic, there is the adage: "The best tripod is the one you have with you." I just bought a more compact tripod because I tended to leave the "big one" at home.

Whoever coined that adage was wrong, very wrong.
Bracing yourself or your camera against a tree or door frame or lamp post or a car or anything solid and stable is far preferable to a wobbly tripod that might dump your valuable camera if you sneeze.

Gerry -- while I do appreciate your logic, there is the adage: "The best tripod is the one you have with you." I just bought a more compact tripod because I tended to leave the "big one" at home.

I feel the same way about cameras. I need to find a (D)SLR combination that works the best for me.

There was a saying regarding Tripods; I believe it went that one could chose two parameters out of the three; cheap, light, sturdy.

If you want it to be both light weight, but also provide adequate support and well built, then it is gonna get expensive. Then it will be carbon and high quality materials, and well thought out in design.

I've been pretty satisfied with the Velbon Ultra Maxi SF. Around 13" folded, 48" fully extended. It's managed to hold a K20d with DA* 16-50 F2.8 in portrait orientation. It takes a while to get used to the "trunnion" leg system, but once you do it quickly extends with 3 simple twists of the legs.

I haven't used other portable tripod so I can't compare, but it's been really great for motorcycle travel.

It looks like this has discontinued. How long have you had this tripod.

Originally posted by johnmflores

I've been pretty satisfied with the Velbon Ultra Maxi SF. Around 13" folded, 48" fully extended. It's managed to hold a K20d with DA* 16-50 F2.8 in portrait orientation. It takes a while to get used to the "trunnion" leg system, but once you do it quickly extends with 3 simple twists of the legs.

I haven't used other portable tripod so I can't compare, but it's been really great for motorcycle travel.

It looks like this has discontinued. How long have you had this tripod.

Two, maybe three years. There are slightly bigger models that may still be available. My brother has one, and what it can do that mine doesn't do is spread the legs wide for low to the ground type shots.